Refugee Children Reunited by the Power of Music and Technology

Palestinian “Al Sununu” Children’s Choirs in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to Sing Together via Satellite

On the 23rd of April, 2013, 23 choirs made up of Palestinian refugee children located in 5 major cities in the Middle East performed simultaneously via satellite to create a single concert of their traditional music. The choirs, which together include over 800 children aged from 4 to 13, performed in such diverse settings as Bethlehem (Dar Al Nadwa Theater), Gaza (Arcmed Hotel), Amman (Crowne Plaza Hotel), Damascus (Ceremony Hall, Sahnaya) and Beirut (Babel Theater). They have sung songs from their common heritage as if they were together in one location thanks to the use of satellite technology.

The concert has been organised and sponsored by the Association Elena Rostropovich.

“Al Sununu” children live in refugee camps scattered across the Middle East, where they are cut off from their cultural heritage.”, said AER president Elena Rostropovich. “By mastering basic music education and having the opportunity to learn the music of their parents and grandparents, these children can begin to form a cultural identity, which is so important to building self-esteem and healing the emotional devastation of being a refugee.”